In a recent study conducted by Wiley Edge, an emerging talent and reskill training provider, it has been revealed that a significant number of businesses lack neurodiversity in their tech workforce.
The Diversity in Tech Report highlights a pressing issue, as 31 percent of companies openly admit to this deficiency, while an alarming 13 percent remain unaware of how to address the problem, underscoring a substantial workplace neurodiversity support gap.
Neurodiversity encompasses individuals with conditions such as Dyslexia, DCD (Dyspraxia), Dyscalculia, Autism, and ADHD, with an estimated 15-20 percent of the population considered neurodivergent.
Despite the increasing recognition of the unique skills and perspectives neurodivergent individuals bring to the workforce, the true number remains elusive due to a lack of accessible testing and some employees’ reluctance to disclose their conditions.
Updated benefits packages
Businesses that have made strides in addressing this issue have implemented measures such as updated benefits packages (54%), advertising roles in different places (51%), and offering flexible working policies (28%) to create a more inclusive environment.
Khadijah Pandor, Head of Partnerships, EMEA & NA, at Wiley Edge, emphasised the need for workplaces to adapt to the growing awareness of neurodivergent talent.
Pandor stated, “Recognition of the value that neurodivergent talent can bring to the tech workforce has rocketed in recent years. However, some workplaces have been slow to react to this growing awareness and better accommodate the different needs of their workforce. This has led to a workplace neurodiversity support gap which must be closed to help make workplaces more inclusive and representative, and encourage more neurodivergent talent to consider a career in tech.”
How can you foster a more diverse workforce?
To foster a more diverse workforce, businesses must review recruitment and screening processes, provide additional training, offer senior leadership support, and incorporate mentoring programs. Pandor continued, expressing concern over the 21 percent of organisations with no plans to increase diversity within their workforce and the 3 percent who have never considered the issue. Despite the increasing awareness, there is still progress to be made in supporting neurodivergent talent and other underrepresented groups in the tech industry.
“A workforce made up of people with different backgrounds can lead to diverse ideas and outcomes, and commercial benefits,” concluded Pandor. The call to bridge the neurodiversity support gap resonates as an essential step in unlocking the full potential of the tech workforce.
Amelia Brand is the Editor for HRreview, and host of the HR in Review podcast series. With a Master’s degree in Legal and Political Theory, her particular interests within HR include employment law, DE&I, and wellbeing within the workplace. Prior to working with HRreview, Amelia was Sub-Editor of a magazine, and Editor of the Environmental Justice Project at University College London, writing and overseeing articles into UCL’s weekly newsletter. Her previous academic work has focused on philosophy, politics and law, with a special focus on how artificial intelligence will feature in the future.
